47 Then the man took me back to the temple entrance, and there was water flowing out from under the front edge of the building toward the east, and the water was flowing down the south side of the temple, to the right of the altar.[ref] 2 So he took me out through the northern gate and led me around the outside to the eastern gate, and look, the water was flowing from this gate on its south side. 3 As the man started walking toward the east holding his measuring line in his hand, he measured off five hundred metres and led me through the water, which was ankle-deep. 4 Then he measured another five hundred metres and led me through the water, which was now knee-deep, and then after another five hundred metres it was up to the waist. 5 Finally he measured off another five hundred metres, but the water had become deep enough to swim in and too deep to cross—it was now a river that couldn’t be walked through. 6 The man asked me, “Humanity’s child, have you taken note of all this?”

Then he led me out and had me return along the riverbank. 7 As I walked back, wow, now the riverbank had many trees on each side. 8 The man told me, “This water flows eastward and down into the Rift Valley. It’ll flow into the Dead Sea and will make it into fresh water. 9 As a result, every kind of living creature that swarms will live where that water flows. There’ll be lots of fish when that water flows into the Dead Sea as it causes the salty water to become fresh water—everything will live wherever that river goes. 10 Then the fishermen from Eyn-Gedi will stand there by the water, and there’ll be a place to dry out the fishing nets near Eyn-Eglaim. There’ll be many kinds of fish in the Dead Sea—plentiful just like the fish in the Mediterranean Sea. 11 However, the Dead Sea’s swamps and marshes won’t be made fresh—they’ll be for providing salt. 12 Beside that river on both banks, all kinds of fruit trees will grow. Their leaves will never wilt, and they’ll never fail to fruit—in fact they’ll bear fruit every month because that water from the temple flows to them. Their fruit will be good to eat, and their leaves will help with healing.[ref]